Category: Rural Ontario Development Program
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Community Success Story: Paris Ontario Downtown Dig
The Downtown Dig in Paris, Ontario demonstrates a unique approach to supporting businesses, residents and visitors during a major infrastructure renewal project. While major infrastructure projects can create significate disruptions for nearby small businesses, early engagement, collaboration and thoughtful planning can help reduce impacts and support the community thought-out constriction. Supported through the Rural Ontario…
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Insights from the 2025 BR+E Provincial Roll-up
This is the Ontario government’s BR+E program results based on the 2024 survey.
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Meet Chloe Langlois – Supporting Northwestern Ontario’s Rural and Indigenous Communities
At the Ministry of Rural Affairs (MRA), our Economic Development and Business Advisors work collaboratively with rural communities, municipalities, organizations and Indigenous communities to support economic development initiatives. We are excited to highlight Chloe Langlois, Economic Development and Business Advisor for Northwestern Ontario. A career rooted in on the ground experience Chloe began her career…
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Strengthening Local Economies Through BR+E: Insights from Pembroke
City of Pembroke municipal staff and volunteers recently conducted 32 one-on-one interviews with local businesses, focusing on manufacturers and small employers as part of their recent Business Retention and Expansion project (BR+E). With support from the Ministry of Rural Affairs’ Business Retention and Expansion program and $17,667 in support from the Rural Economic Development (RED)…
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Turning on the wow factor: Lessons from the Virtual Teeny Tiny Summit
On March 31, communities from across rural Ontario gathered online for the virtual Teeny Tiny Summit to learn tips and tricks on building community and business prosperity through storytelling and the experience economy. Keynote speaker, Peter Kenyon from the Bank of Ideas, challenged participants to rethink how towns and businesses present themselves by focusing on one…
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2026 Teeny Tiny Summit Series
The Power of Community: Building Hope in Uncertain Times The 2026 Teeny Tiny Summits will focus on the theme “The Power of Community: Building Hope in Uncertain Times.” These Summits will take place across Ontario: Teeny Tiny Summits focus on economic development for small communities. Providing practical examples, tools and opportunities to learn from leaders…
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Meet Serena Forrester: Helping Rural Ontario Communities Thrive
Meet Serena Forrester – Supporting Southwestern Ontario Communities At the Ministry of Rural Affairs (MRA), our Economic Development and Business Advisors play an important role in supporting the growth and resilience of Ontario’s rural communities. We are excited to spotlight Serena Forrester, who is part of MRA as the Economic Development and Business Advisor supporting…
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Attend the virtual Teeny Tiny Summit – Featuring Peter Kenyon on March 31, 2026
Be inspired by Peter Kenyon’s keynote session, “Building Community & Business Prosperity through Storytelling and the Experience Economy”. Rural communities are rich with stories, character, creativity and potential! On Tuesday, March 31, those strengths take centre stage at the virtual Teeny Tiny Summit, featuring internationally renowned community-builder, Peter Kenyon. When: Tuesday, March 31 from 9:30…
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BR+E Training Sessions – Starting May 7, 2026
Is your community interested in learning more about how a Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) can help you engage with local businesses and take strategic actions to support businesses in your community? Plan to attend the Ministry of Rural Affair’s upcoming BR+E training sessions to learn about best practices for engaging businesses and the steps…
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Agriculture Economic Development Training starting April 15, 2026
Strengthening Ontario’s Rural Economies Through Agriculture Agriculture plays a central role in Ontario’s rural economy – driving jobs, investment, and vibrant communities. By building agriculture economic development capacity, communities can better adapt to change, support local businesses and strengthen long-term resilience. To help municipalities, economic development professionals and community partners make the most of these…